808 Dynamic Theory. 



awaken if the agreed signal be given even in a low tone. This is often 

 paralleled in natural sleep, the sleeper oblivious to all sorts of loud 

 noises, is easily aroused by the mention of his name, or the giving of 

 an agreed signal. It seems that the avenues from the external senses 

 to the cerebral organs, are all closed except one, the one upon which 

 the expected stimulus is to come. 



The several stages of the hypnotic state are, by Liebault, reduced to 

 six, as follows : x 



( 1 ) Is scarcely sleep, mere drowsiness ; patient wakes as soon as op- 

 erator's influence ceases. 



(2) Eyes are closed; hears everything said; does not wake speedily; 

 is in "hypotaxic" or charmed condition, or suggestive catalepsy. The 

 arm placed in position is rigid if operator so dictates. The patient in 

 this stage often thinks he has not been asleep, because he remembers 

 everything. 



( 3 ) Sensibility to pain nearly abolished when the operator so assures 

 the patient ; automatic movements started, cannot be stopped by patient. 



( 4 ) Patient hears nothing except what the operator says ; he may be 

 transferred to another operator. 



( 5 ) Forgetf ulness not quite complete, has confused recollection of 

 some things. Patient can be made cataleptic and totally insensible to 

 pain, and experience hallucinations and illusions of the senses. This is 

 the stage of light somnambulism. 



( 6 ) Total amnesia ; no subsequent memory whatever of what takes 

 place. Nevertheless the subject can hear and obey suggestions very 

 readily. This is the grade of deep somnambulism. In some cases 

 there is scarcely any suggestibility, all the senses being in abeyance. 



The effects of suggestion made during the hypnotic condition endure 

 for a time after the subject wakes up, varying from a few minutes to 

 hours or even days. During this time it is felt by the subject as a 

 strong impulse to action. "For example a good somnambulist is hyp- 

 notized, and told that on awaking he will commit a certain act, that he 

 must commit it, and cannot offer any resistance to his desire to commit 

 it. Accordingly, when he awakes he executes the suggestion which has 

 been insinuated into his mind, either literally or with some slight modi- 

 fication, and not having any recollection of what has been told him, be- 

 lieves that his act is spontaneous. These cases afford the best illustra- 

 tion I know of the relativity of our freedom of will and of the truth of 

 Spinoza's saying that our consciousness of free will is but ignorance of 

 the causes of our acts. If the act which has been suggested is one 

 which might readily be committed spontaneously, the subject makes no 

 comment upon it. If, however, he has been told to do something ridic- 



*Dr. C. A/Hei-ter, Pop/Science Mo., Oct. 1888. 



